The Temptation of D's Lefthand
by Agar
Summary: Poor D never gets a break. Between killing vampires and suppressing his bloodlust, D barely has enough energy to fight off the women. After the disturbing conversation in The Rant of D's Lefthand, a young whore pushes his luck.


_"The Temptation Of D's Lefthand"_

_by Agar_

**Rating**: PG-13 for crude humor, homosexuality, mild language, suggestive dialog, prostitutes, and a talking hand. Also a bit of angst!

**Disclaimer**: VHD is the property of the wonderful Hideyuki Kikuchi. I am in awe of him. The cute little whore, "Kali", is mine though.

**Summary**: Poor D never gets a break. Between killing vampires and suppressing his bloodlust, D barely has enough energy to fight off the women. After the disturbing conversation in The Rant of D's Lefthand, a young whore pushes his luck.

**Author's Notes**: I have had this sitting on my hard drive...forever. It has been re-written more times than I can count and now includes the information I've gleaned from the book series. I've tried to make everything as accurate as possible, but since D's POV is given in several instances it may seem slightly OOC. Un-betaed.

Last but most definitely NOT least, I'd like to thank everyone who read "The Rant of D's Lefthand." You are awesome.

* * *

_"The Temptation of D's Lefthand"_

_by Agar_

In the post apocalyptic world of Earth, life was a long, hard struggle. It was unforgiving and merciless, empty of compassion. People rarely died of old age, often falling victim to disease, hunger, or the things that prowled the night long before "their time" came. In a world of vampires, where you were either the hunter or the hunted, life was cruel.

It was no wonder bars and whore houses were common place in most cities, as alcohol and sex were industries which would never lose customers. Big money could be made that way, and if there was anything more desired than their wares, it was the money to be made from it. As long as humanity was greedy for an escape, those most perverted of sins would endure and thrive.

It was a Sunday night. The bar was a seedy place, less frequented that the town of Jun's main inn, but despite it's reputation it usually bustled with activity and life. There would be dancers on the stage slowly peeling away their revealing clothing and whores would work the crowds looking for potential johns. Men would drink and sing until they became sick or passed out, then were dragged home by a tipsy friend. Not tonight, though. Today was the Sabbath, and although the religion had more or less died out, the traditional day of rest had continued in this end of the Frontier. Right now the bar was almost empty, not even a hand full of patrons. D was one of them.

"You, my dhampire friend, have hit rock bottom," a hoarse voice commented dryly as D raised a glass of red merlot wine to his pale lips. D pretended to ignore it. Sometimes it was just better to let it rave.

"Here you are, funds from our last kill dwindling to nothing, and instead of going out there looking for work, you're sitting here wasting money on alcohol like the rest of the humans. Do you even drink it? Or do you just like to pretend?"

"I have enough to get along for a few more months," D replied calmly.

"On what? Those disgusting powdered blood capsules? I want something other than _dirt_ for a change. I know I said earlier that we should take a break, but don't you think we're cutting it a bit close? I mean, three, four months at the most! What if we don't find a vampire to kill, huh? Ever think of that, Your Greatness?"

"We've made it before."

"Uhg, 'We've made it before' he says. Well forgive me if I'm not reassured by those words of wisdom, Aristotle." The hand gave a small "hmph" and wrinkled it's nose.

D continued to slowly nurse his drink (a sip here and there did not totally repulse his Noble side) and mused on his parasite's words. Yes, there was a chance that he couldn't find a job in time. There were only so many vampires around, and it wasn't too terribly often that they kidnapped someone or committed some travesty that people would be willing to pay money over. But they could scrounge up cash taking odd jobs here and there. Combine that with the vampire blood that allowed him to survive extremes, and he would be alright.

"If you're going to fling money around, could you order some _real_ food? Your stomach is growling and the last thing I need is for you to keel over from hunger, of all things."

"I'm fine," D insisted.

The symbiote snorted. "I thought we established long ago that you've _never_ been 'fine'. Always pushing yourself too hard and then denying everything when I nag you about it. Don't try to correct me, because you'd only be proving my point. Just for one night D, indulge yourself! You need a break. Order a real meal and sleep in an actually _bed_ for a change, preferably with company."

"Don't."

"Oh, come on, look around! Just pick someone and give a wink. Hell, in a place like this you probably won't even have to do that. Wait long enough and they'll come to you."

D took a larger sip from his glass, knowing he may very well vomit it up later.

Not a minute after the hand finished speaking, a tall, curvaceous blonde woman in an apron and V-neck blouse noticed D at the bar and flashed him a pearly white smile. Her breasts bounced as she swiveled on her heels, and her short skirt twirled around her shapely legs. She was either an angel or a demon, and she couldn't have been over twenty-five.

"Speak of the devil..." the hand said under it's breath as the beautiful girl walked up to D, her hips swaying hypothetically with everything step closer.

"Hello sir. Is there anything you want?" She gave him a sexy smile, suggesting more than just an interest in the inn's menu. The lustful gleam in her eye betrayed more than just a professional interest and her gaze lowered to wander over D's body unabashed.

D's stomach did a flip, watching her left breast rise and fall with her heartbeat. "No, thank you."

She gave a sultry pout and twisted her hands in front of her, pushing her cleavage together and giving D a good, long look at her wares. "Are you sure?"

D's face remained a stoic mask, but inside he was praying to spirits he didn't believe in. "I'm sure."

Her face fell and she pushed a long lock of hair behind her ear, still hoping for a catch. "Oh. If you change your mind, I'll _come_ when you call." She walked away, purposely looking pathetic and dejected, and hoping that the way her butt moved would be enough to reel him back in. No such luck.

When she was out of hearing range, the symbiote spoke up. "Aww, you hurt the poor girl's feelings. And she was trying so hard, too."

"Quiet."

"You know what? I really hate you sometimes. We'll never get any like this. I hope you're seduced and enslaved as a personal sex toy by some hottie in the near future, because that's what it would take!"

"Shut it, or I'll cut you off and carry you in a jar."

"Fine. Be that way," it grumbled. "See if I ever give you love advice again."

A half hour passed and the bar's patrons trickled out one by one until D was all who remained. He spent the time quietly, enjoying the simple peacefulness that he so rarely experienced. To be able to rest uninterrupted for a moment was a luxury. No jobs, no fighting, no death; just sitting at a bar, drinking, like any other human would. If not for his sword and armor, you wouldn't even know him for a hunter. Just a man, hunched over his drink. But then, not even a lumpy pair of farmer's leathers and a layer of grim could hide the aura of darkness the emanated from him, nor his unnatural beauty.

Outside the night air whistled by, and D could envision the town's sleepy inhabitants safely in their homes. A few were still awake: a father might be rocking an infant to sleep, or a doctor keeping his vigil over an ill woman. Maybe a couple was making love, happily ignorant to the terrible things in the woods just a hundred meters from their doorstep. In the insignificant border town of Jun, D was just another person.

Add some fairly decent wine and a warm fire burning in the inn's hearth to relax by, and life was good. Maybe even toss in a good meal, D was feeling indulgent. Sometimes his parasite had good ideas.

"Sir?"

A metallic plinking, like the chime of small bells, and the soft sound of foot falls on hardwood floors had alerted him to the human, but he hadn't turned around. He was small and young, by the sound of it. No threat.

"Um, sir?"

D turned his cobalt eyes on him and felt his pulse double. Oh no, not another gorgeous one...

The boy - no, not quite, though just of the cusp of manhood - was small. Petite, even, and as slender like a girl, most likely due to malnutrition at an early age like many Frontier children. He had delicate, refined features and porcelain skin as pale as anyone human could have, all without a hair on his chin. Expressive cobalt eyes gazed up at him with a note of sorrow D saw altogether to often. Locks of unnatural snowy white hair tumbled past his ears and grazed the shoulders of his faded grey tunic in loose ringlets. Small silver coins and trinkets were braided in, which jingled at the slightest movement, explaining the strange sound D had heard before turning. His legs were covered by a swath of navy blue fabric slung low around his hips, and as he shifted his weight to one side, the milky flesh of one thigh was exposed to D's stare. Contrary to his attire, he looked at D with childlike innocence and a bit of awe. It was disconcerting, if only because the boy's pale coloring reminded him eerily of the Noble Meyerlink, now gone from this world.

"Do you need anything, sir? I'd be glad to help you."

D couldn't help but wonder if he was suggesting what he though he was. But why else would a boy as pretty as this be here, and not working his family's fields like others his age? "No," he answered firmly.

The bright blue eyes dimmed a bit. "Oh," he said, and the voice was flat and emotionless. He looked crushed, which didn't seem to fit with the situation, but then D's aura had been know to work strange magics on humans before. "I'm sorry I bothered you."

He had just begun to turn away when D's deep monotone voice stopped him.

"...There is one thing I would ask of you."

"Anything." And this time when the pale checks flushed the dhampire knew that this human youth knew very well what he was implying.

"Could you refill my drink?"

He seemed disappointed. "Oh, sure." He disappeared behind the bar and D could hear the clinking of glass as he looked through the wines. "Um, what are you drinking, exactly?"

"Any red would do, maybe a dry merlot. Preferably one of the better ones."

Kali reappeared over the counter and held up a half empty bottle, the label faded and dusty. "Is this okay, sir?"

"That's fine."

The whore refilled D's glass without another word, but D could see the questions in his eyes. He raised an eyebrow. "Yes...?"

"Do you think I'm pretty?" the youth blurted out. His eyes widened at his own daring, and immediately he apologized, his eyes lowered to the floor submissively. "Forgive me. I should just shut up now..." He seemed to shrink into himself, and briefly D wondered if he'd been abused.

"What is your name?" he asked quietly, and the boy looked up with the smallest of hopes.

"Kali." He paused. "Well, really, it's Kalaratri, but everyone shorted it to Kali. Said it was too long. It means Dark Night,'" he said sheepishly.

D tested the name on his tongue and the syllables rolled off in waves. "Rather foreboding name, isn't it?"

Kali shrugged. "The same night I was born, hell hounds attack my old town. Everyone except Mom and me were killed. I'm bad luck, you see."

"Surviving was lucky."

"Yeah, well it didn't last long. She was killed by a vampire when I was seven, so I went to live with my Uncle." Kali grew quiet and a spark of pain flicked across his face so quickly D almost doubted he had seen it, but the tensing of his left hand told him he hadn't imagined it. "My Uncle and I didn't get along, though, and he kicked me out. I had no home, no money, and no food. There aren't many choices for someone like me, and that's how I ended up here. This...," he waved an arm to gesture to the inn and seemingly everything it implied, "...was the only way I could make a living."

Kali suddenly flushed and he stuttered an apology. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to just spill out my life story like that to you. You must think it's strange, suddenly telling you all this. It's just...no one has asked me that in a long time. Such an silly question." He sighed. "But you don't want to hear this. You must have you own problems, and whores aren't paid to whine over their own misfortune in life," he spat bitterly.

D shook his head. "Sometimes we all need to vent. It's only human."

Kali looked at him strangely. "Only human..."

Suddenly a gruff male voice from the kitchen yelled out. "Boy! Quit bothering the customer or you'll be sleeping outside with the dogs!"

"Yes, sir!" Kali was quick to call back. He looked back apologetically at D. "You'll have to excuse him. He's mostly hot air and rarely follow through with his threats." Kali wrinkled his nose. "Why couldn't the vampires eat _him_ for their dinner? Devil knows I'd thank them!"

A smile tugged at the corners of D's lips. "You're a strange boy."

Kali grinned and raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Hey, I'm older than I look." He swept his eyes appreciatively over D's form, lusty eyes straying back downwards. "Nice," he commented.

D tilted his hat further over his face to hide the flicker of red in his eyes and the heat in his cheeks.

"May I sit with you...?" Kali trailed off, the unspoken question hanging between them.

"...D."

"And you say I'm the strange one. You dress in all black, carry a sword taler than me, and your name is D?" Kali chuckled. "Okay, I'll go with that. So can I still sit with you, Mr. D?"

D was silent. In all honestly, he wouldn't have minded the company; months on the road with only his Lefthand was enough to drive anyone to the brink. Deep down, he wanted Kali to stay, if only to hear another's voice for a change, but he knew no good could come of it. So he said nothing.

Kali smirked. "I'll take that as a yes." He plopped down in the barstool next to D, spinning a bit. He stretched his arms up over his head and the faded grey shirt rose up over his belly. D looked away before Kali had the chance to tug the hem back down.

"So what brings you here to town, D? This doesn't really seem like your kind of place."

"I'm looking for work."

"Mm. Not here, I hope. And what exactly do you do?"

"I'm a hunter."

Kali smiled. "I suspected that from your sword, which is a beaut, by the way. What do you hunt?"

"Nobles."

Kali blinked. "Wow. You must be pretty talented if you don't work in concert and you're still alive." He smiled coyly. "There's more to you than meets the eye, isn't there D?"

"..."

"...You're not completely human, are you?"

The dhampire tensed and alarm bells began going off in his head. His hand moved closer to the hilt of his sword from where it stood propped up against his leg, expecting the ambush that didn't come.

Kali quickly began to explain. "It's okay if you aren't! We get all kinds of folk in here, mutants, hunters, even a few demons." He ticked them off on his fingers as he recalled the past customers. "And it would be rather hypocritical if I went and judged them, no wouldn't it? They can't change their body anymore than I can change my luck."

"Why do you allow them here?" D asked curiously, and a bit suspicious. There was more to the humble inn than at first glance.

"Here money is money. If the other customers don't like it, they can come back later. Besides, the demons pay good money. We get great tips whenever they come, and since the place is virtually empty for the entire night, the prostitutes get a well deserved break." He smirked wirily at D. "You won't hear us complain one bit when the Barbarois visit."

D nearly lost his hold on his glass. "Barbarois?" He asked, thinking that staying here might have been a mistake. If word got around to them that D had been here...well, things would become a lot more complicated very quickly. He wasn't particularly liked by the Barbarois, being a hunter AND a dhampire, though his rather unique lineage gave him some leeway. He felt his Lefthand begin to squirm uncomfortably, trying to talk to him but reluctant to give itself away.

"Yeah, they stop by every now and then," Kali continued. "Typically they're just passing through on a job or escorting someone with a big wallet. But when they do come *no one* tries to stop them. It's common knowledge around here: don't mess with the Barbarois. You'd have to be suicidal to try."

"I've encountered their kind before."

Kali pursed his lips. "They're a pretty weird bunch, aren't they? Some of them look like the things from nightmares," he said quietly.

"Nightmares can't hurt you; the Barbarois can."

Kali didn't know what to say to that.

Neither of them spoke for a moment, but the silence was broken when Kali suddenly asked a question.

"So what are you? You're not a werewolf, you don't have those golden eyes or enough hair. I've seen the brutes before and you're too pretty to be one." Kali flushed. "Just pretend I didn't say that, okay? Anyway, you're definitely not a lower mutant, and the Barbarois aren't that human looking. If I didn't know better I'd say you were a vampire, but I saw you out in the sun when you rode into town. You, my funny friend, are a puzzle."

"He's also a half-breed," came a gravely voice from a little lower down.

Kali jumped in his seat and his hand shot down to his thigh, where the midnight blue fabric parted to reveal a thin blade held by a tattered garter. "What the hell was that?! Who's there!"

D sighed and lifted his left palm to Kali. Seconds later a wrinkled face appeared. It's black beady eyes peered at Kali intently. "Oh, I like this one, D."

At Kali stunned expression, D elaborated, rather shocked himself that it had spoken up in front of a stranger. "It's a parasite. I've been stuck with it for longer than I like to think about."

Kali nodded hesitantly and gave the hand a queer look while tucking the knife back into his garter. "Uh huh. So that's what made the half-breed comment."

D stiffened. "Yes."

The symbiote snickered. "Cute too."

"I think I like your hand, D."

D flushed and he hoped the dim lighting of the bar would mask it.

Kali rested his head in his hand. "So you're a half-breed, huh?" he asked softly. "Vampire blood?"

"Yeah, but you'd never get him to admit it," the symbiote said. "He's a stubborn one. Too busy agonizing over what he can't change to try to live with it." It sighed.

Kali nodded and looked sympathetically at D. The boy's doe like eyes were filled with compassion and understanding, and D had the insane urge to just tell him everything, to finally let go of his burden just once, if only to ease the weight on his heart; to tell the boy of his innocent, gentle mortal mother, his vampire father, his own curse and bloody path of redemption by killing his own kind, though deep down he knew it would only hurt them both to speak of it. He wanted to admit to Kali his own lust to kill, to taste the sweet death of humans on his tongue, but most of all his longing to take Kali in his deadly embrace and shred the pale, unmarked flesh of his throat, Kali's own blood spilling to the floor in glorious ribbons as he forced the life from him until his heart slowed to nothing. D shivered unconsciously, both in horror and desire as he felt his fangs lengthen in his gums.

D was jerked back to reality as Kali spoke, unaware of the thoughts turning in his head. "It's talking about the bloodlust, isn't it?" he whispered somberly.

D closed his eyes. "...It never really goes away. Sometimes is easier to bare, but mostly..."

"How is it now?"

"..."

"D?"

"...It roars in my head, never giving me a moment's peace. I can hear the blood rushing in your veins and the trust in your voice that makes it all too easy to give in. Would you deny me if I asked?" D's voice cracked on the last sentence. "Would you?"

Kali was silent.

"What would happen if I lost control? I simply _cannot take the risk_. So no, Kali, before you ask, the answer is no."

Kali nodded. "I understand." He stood up from the bar stool slowly and took a tentative step towards D. Instinctively the dhampire leaned back, but Kali continued to move closer. He leaned in towards D's face and looked longingly into the cold blue eyes. "Just allow me this one simple pleasure." He whispered. And Kali placed a gentle, chaste kiss on D's cold lips, feeling the unmoving marble skin, lingering only a moment longer than was polite. When Kali pulled away the almond eyes were wide in surprise and D's mouth was parted slightly, revealing elongating teeth.

Kali backed away, a cross between horror and pity in his eyes as he watched D struggle against his instincts, as if he had only just realized what was sitting before him. When he finally spoke though, he voice was soft and sympathetic. "I'm sorry, D. I sincerely wish something could have come from this."

"Don't we all," the symbiote muttered, but Kali didn't hear. Instead, the unfortunate whore just looked sadly at D and walked up the inn's stairs to disappear down the shadowed hall.

* * *

"D, if you turn away one more willing body, I'll molest you in your sleep," the hand hissed as D saddled the cyborg horse. "You'll never be able to get a full night's rest again!"

It was the morning after the encounter with the beautiful boy, Kali, who had offered his body to D and was refused. The incident was still fresh in D's mind, and apparently his parasite's, too. It was painful on all levels: physically frustrating; mentally agonizing; and emotionally...

...Well, D never really recovers from things like this.

They had spent the night at the inn (at the symbiote's insisting), yet they had not seen the young prostitute at all. D was not sure if that was a good or bad thing.

"Stop irritating me because you didn't get what you wanted."

"Damn right! What were you thinking, turning him away?!"

"I was thinking about his safety."

It snorted. "D, you keep putting this off and anything with a _pulse_ will look good."

D stiffened, and too late the symbiote realized just what it'd said.

"Er, don't take that the wrong way. What I mean to say is one of these days you're going to wake up humping your horse."

D snorted, but otherwise ignored it's babbling in favor of unhitching said horse.

"Don't ignore me, D! Hurry up and do _something_ before you spiral out of control!"

D was coldly silent and hitched his meager supplies onto the saddle, pulling the buckles a little tighter than was necessary. The cyborg horse whinnied in protest and nipped sharply at D's cloak. "It already is out of control," he said softly, ignoring the torn corner of fabric his horse was chewing on.

"Now that's just stupid. If it was out of control, then that boy would be _dead_ along with a hundred others. You need to give yourself some credit. Now, how about turning around and telling Kali you changed your mind, hmm?"

D didn't answer. He jammed a foot into a stirrup and vaulted into the saddle, his mount balking at the sudden weight. Before he could doubt himself, he dug his heels into the cyborg's flanks and tilted forward, and, in a blur of sable and auburn, was gone.

END

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A/N: Wow, that got angsty fast. Didn't mean for that to happen, but VHD is so dark naturally! Just went with the flow, dude. This is what the fic wanted to do. I'm still not totally satisfied with how it turned out, but I figured I might as well post it.


End file.
